'Poison killer' under investigation for 99 UK deaths but who is Kenneth Law

Daily Mirror

5 days ago

Channel 4's latest documentary investigates the shocking alleged crimes of 'poison chef' Kenneth Law, who is accused of sending over 1,200 packages of poison across the globe, resulting in 99 deaths in the UK alone
Assisting in another person's suicide is an offense under UK law, so why then is there an active pro-suicide forum accessible to UK citizens in which users promote and celebrate the death's of others? And even worse: why is an alleged serial killer, who used these sites to target vulnerable people, laughing about the lack of accountability he faces?
Channel 4 's new documentary Poisoned: Killer in the Post, exposes a chilling international investigation into how a deadly poison was sold online and linked to nearly 100 deaths in the UK alone. In the show, which airs on July 8 and 9 at 9pm, The Times' investigative journalist James Beal is led to investigate the so-called 'poison chef', Kenneth Law, who is accused of sending over 1,200 packages of poison across the globe.
‌
Earlier this year, I interviewed online safety activist and author Adele Walton, whose sister Aimee is believed to be one of 99 people in the UK to have received the chemical poison from the Canadian-national Law.
‌
Who is the alleged 'poison killer'?
Kenneth Law is a Canadian national, based in Toronto, Ontario. Prior to his infamy as a mail-order suicide drug provider, he worked at the Fairmount Royal York Hotel in Toronto, where it is said that Queen Elizabeth stayed when she was in the city.
Toronto Life reported that Law saw the opportunity to sell an otherwise legal drug for illicit purposes in the summer of 2020. He began selling packets of poison for $59 plus shipping costs. Law ran numerous websites - which we will not be naming here - to sell poison and other suicide paraphernalia.
‌
One such product he offered was a 40-minute consultation call with a prospective client, which James takes him up on in the Channel 4 documentary.
In a chilling moment in the documentary, Kenneth laughs as he tells James: "The UK government has no jurisdiction to the Canadian government. They're not going to bring me over the UK for this. It's too small."
Law was arrested by Canadian police in May 2022, and is currently awaiting trial for 14 counts each of first-degree murder and aiding suicide in January 2026, according to CBC.
‌
How many people received packages?
It is reported that Law sent 1,200 packages through his websites. Law is said to have sent suicide kit packages to 40 countries, via the pro-suicide site. The Mirror has taken the editorial decision not to name either the forum or the drug.
In the UK, the National Crime Agency has identified 288 individuals who bought the poison from the website, in a two year period leading up to April 2023. The scope of the NCA investigation relates to the supply of substances from Canada to these individuals. Of these, the NCA are investigating 99 potential criminal offences.
A spokesperson from the NCA told The Mirror: 'The National Crime Agency continues to investigate potential criminal offences linked to the deaths of individuals in the UK who purchased items to assist with suicide from Canada-based websites. Our investigation explores all viable leads linked to these websites and a Canadian suspect in order to identify evidence of crimes committed in the UK.
‌
'We are investigating potential criminal offences linked to the deaths of 99 individuals who purchased items to assist with suicide from these websites… Specialist officers from police forces continue to provide support to victims and families.'
What is the pro-suicide site?
In April 2025, OFCOM announced an investigation into the pro-suicide forum, to assess whether the site fails to comply with The Online Safety Act . However, the website remains live and accessible for UK citizens, despite this ongoing investigation into harmful content.
On the site, there are extremely detailed instructions on how to take the poison. Elsewhere, posters use acronyms to urge others to 'catch the bus' - or take their own lives - on this forum. Full threads weigh up various methods with a stark detachment from hope. It is truly astonishing how this website can remain active while under investigations for the deaths of UK citizens.
‌
Speaking to the Mirror, an OFCOM spokesperson said in relation to the site: 'UK law sets out the process Ofcom must follow when investigating an individual provider and deciding whether it has failed to comply with its legal obligations.
'We are currently gathering and analysing evidence to determine whether a contravention has occurred… Where we identify compliance failures, we can require platforms to take specific steps to come into compliance. We can also impose fines of up to £18m or 10% of qualifying worldwide revenue, whichever is greater.
"Where appropriate, in the most serious cases, we can seek a court order for 'business disruption measures', such as requiring payment providers or advertisers to withdraw their services from a platform, or requiring Internet Service Providers to block access to a site in the UK.'
‌
At time of writing, the OFCOM investigation remains ongoing.
A Government spokesperson for the Department of Science, Innovation and Technology said: 'Suicide devastates families and social media companies have a clear responsibility to keep people safe on their platforms.
'The law is crystal clear. Under the Online Safety Act, services must take action to prevent users from accessing illegal suicide and self-harm content, and ensure children are protected from legal content that promotes or instructs on these behaviours. Ofcom has the power to take tough enforcement action, including substantial fines.
‌
'Ofcom has already launched enforcement action against companies failing to meet their online safety duties, including a suicide forum. Several other harmful forums have also since withdrawn access for UK users.'
Big Tech's responsibility
The chemical sold by Kenneth Law is available on one of the world 's biggest online retailers: Amazon UK. I reached out to Amazon to ask about whether they plan to ban or regulate the sale of this poison, but at time of writing I have received no response to this query.
I spoke with Carrie Goldberg of C.A. Goldberg, PLLC, a legal firm that represents 29 families whose children were sold the chemical through Amazon. Carrie tells me: 'Families were reporting to Amazon as early as 2019 that it was selling a suicide chemical,' before adding that she personally reported the sale to the online retailer in April 2021. 'No retailer should be selling and delivering [this poison] to households,' she tells me.
‌
C.A. Goldberg is representing two families in the McCarthy v Amazon lawsuit over the sale of the chemical. Carrie said: 'In all states in the US, it is criminal to knowingly facilitate a person's suicide.
'A teaspoon of the [potent poison], if ingested, is as lethal as a gunshot wound to the head,' she said.
Carrie added: 'We won motions [in the McCarthy case] to dismiss and Amazon appealed those. The McCarthy case is on hold until the outcome of these state court appeals.' The oral argument is scheduled for September 9, 2025.
‌
The victims
Throughout Channel 4's documentary, the family and friends of those who died from Law's suicide kits speak of their loss. They talk about the vibrant, spirited, and loving people they lost through the pro-suicide forum and the packages they received from Law.
David Parfett, father of Tom Parfett, who died in a hotel room after ingesting poison, reads the final messages his son made. Tom writes on a so-called 'goodbye thread' that he had taken the drug, and posts his bodily reactions in his last moments.
It's harrowing to watch this father read a description of his son's death in this way, as anonymous posters responded to his son to tell him he was not alone. They would see him on the other side, one said.
‌
I spoke to author and activist Adele Walton about her reaction ahead of the documentary's release. She said: "This documentary is a revelatory wake-up call to the often invisible online harms that more and more people each day are experiencing. With a death toll of 99 victims including my sister, this is a public health crisis, and one that requires immediate and bold action from the Government, coroners and police, if we are to prevent future deaths.
"Tech companies should have a duty of care over their users, and their failure to make the digital world safe by design is costing innocent people their lives.'
The Mirror has reached out to: Interpol; Ontario Court of Justice in Brampton; and Amazon for comment.
For emotional support you can call the Samaritans 24-hour helpline on 116 123, email [e-mail], visit a Samaritans branch in person or go to the Samaritans website.